COLOMBO: Sri Lanka will facilitate the import of vegetables including potato and onion from Pakistan. The issue of exempting imported consignments of vegetables from regularity duties will be taken up in the next cabinet meeting as the duties are imposed to save local production. These views were expressed by Sri Lankan Minister of Trade and Industry Rishad Bathiudeen while addressing a lunch arranged by Pakistan-Sri Lanka Business Forum in his honour.
He said Pakistan’s cement and pharmaceutical industries had better opportunities of investment in Sri Lanka. He said that enjoying the free trade agreement between Sri Lanka and India, Pakistan, by establishing industries in Sri Lanka and with value addition of its products, can had indirect market access to India. Education, he said, was another sector where both countries might develop cooperation as a large number of students from Sri Lanka went to India and United Kingdom for modern education. They could be invited to professional universities especially those in medical and engineering fields in Pakistan.
The minister said Pakistan’s rice had great demand in Sri Lanka whereas Sri Lankan tea could get shares in Pakistani markets. On the occasion, Aslam Pakhali, President of Pakistan-Sri Lanka Business Forum appreciated the efforts made by the minister for enhancement of bilateral trade. He said the minister had great contribution in making the single country exhibition of Pakistan held in Sri Lanka a successful show.
Pakhali said imposition of regularity duties was right of Sri Lankan to save its local production. However, the foreign country was requested to exempt the already shipped consignments of potato and onion from Pakistan, which was the largest exporter of the same item to Sri Lanka, he added.
He further informed the visiting minister that the forum was doing all its best to enhance trade between the two countries. He said the forum had advertised Sri Lankan pineapple in Pakistan recently. “There is a demand for Sri Lankan herbal and Islamic products in Pakistan. The mega project of CPEC may also provide access to Sri Lankan products in Middle Eastern countries, Europe and Central Asia.” The dinner programme was also attended by Sri Lankan Consul General in Karachi Heerath, Vice President of the forum Abdul Wahhab and others.
